Rally Ireland 30/1 – 1/2/09
- Category: WRC, J-WRC
- Based: Sligo
- Surface: Wintry asphalt
- 2009 Winner: Sebastien Loeb
It’s good because…..
It’s more often than not always bad weather so there’s always a bit of drama on the tight and twisty roads. The 2009 Rally Ireland proved it’s a well organised rally and is a lot of fun…just make sure you pack your waterproofs.
2009 Highlights
- Chris Atkinson’s mishap, oh dear….
For more info on Rally Ireland click here.
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Rally Norway 13/2 – 15/2/09
- Category: WRC, P-WRC
- Based: Hamar
- Surface: Ice and snow covered gravel
- 2009 Winner: Sebastien Loeb
It’s good because…..
I think it’s actually better than Sweden, don’t know why but I enjoy it a lot more.
The stages are narrower and a lot more technical so it calls for more skill but that doesn’t slow the drivers down…Fantastic fun just remember to pack your thermals if you’re braver than me and want to watch it in the flesh.
2009 Highlights
- Petter returns!
For more information on Rally Norway click here.
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FxPro Rally Cyprus 13/3 – 15/3/09
- Category: WRC, J-WRC, P-WRC
- Based: Limassol
- Surface: Asphalt and gravel
- 2009 Winner: Sebastien Loeb
It’s good because…..
It has a mixture of road surfaces, asphalt and gravel, making it even tougher for the drivers. It’s also based in a popular holiday resort so if you love your rallying and your partying then this is definitely the rally for you.
2009 Highlights
- Little Seb, Sebastien Ogier stalls, spins, overshoots and rolls all on the same stage….it probably wasn’t a highlight of the rally for him but it provides us with some amusement! He crashed 200m before the end of the last stage as well…not a brilliant rally for him then!
- Sebastien Loeb driving to his 50th WRC win.
For more information on the FxPro Rally Cyprus click here.
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Vodafone Rally de Portugal 3/4-5/4/09
- Category: WRC, J-WRC, P-WRC
- Based: Vilamoura
- Surface: Gravel
- 2009 Winner: Sebastien Loeb….yawn….
It’s good because…..
It’s one of the most famous rallies ever, made famous for all the wrong reasons including the tale about a man who got too close to the road and got his fingers chopped off by a passing car – not sure how much truth there is in that story, I think my Dad my have come up with it just to make me stand in a safe place.
Whatever the truth is in that story it doesn’t stop Portugal being a pretty immense rally. Hardcore fans flock to this gravel event and that’s what makes it so special, the passion behind it – it’s one of my favourites.
2009 Highlights
- Marcus returns…and crashes out, no surprise there then.
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Rally Argentina 24/4-26/4/09
- Category: WRC, J-WRC, P-WRC
- Based: Cordoba-Villa Carlos Paz
- Surface: Gravel
- 2009 Winner: Only time will tell
It’s good because…..
It’s an absolute classic, it’s been around ages. The action takes place in three valleys, each offering very different but very beautiful scenery. The stages at some points run at quite high altitude and the landscape looks rather like the surface of the moon.
With the altitude and plenty of big rocks it’s also a bit of a carbreaker, oh and just ask Petter Solberg about his run ins with the water splashes.
Rally Argentina memories
- This water splash doesn’t seem to have hurt the Subaru too much..maybe it was the old Subarus that had a fear of water.
For more information on Rally Argentina please click here.
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Rally d’Italia Sardegna 22/5 – 24/5/09
- Category: WRC, J-WRC, P-WRC
- Based: Olbia
- Surface: Gravel
- 2009 Winner: Only time will tell
It’s good because…..
The stages consist of fine sandy gravel surfaces and although the roads are narrow and twisty the drivers have to be careful not to go too fast because quite few larger rocks litter the sides of the stages…so when a co-driver says ‘don’t cut’ he/she means it!
This rally is also one of the four events this season to cater for WRC, J-WRC and P-WRC drivers so the entry list promises to be an exciting one.
Rally d’Italia Sardegna memories
- Petter Solberg won the first Rally d’Italia Sardegna in 2004. It was the third in a succession of wins following his monster of an accident in Rally Deutschland.
Winner!
For more information on the Rally d’Italia Sardegna click here.
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Acropolis Rally of Greece 12/6 – 14/6/09
- Category: WRC, P-WRC
- Based: Loutraki
- Surface: Gravel
- 2009 Winner: Only time will tell
It’s good because…..
I love this rally! The boulders are the size of footballs and it’s a real carbreaker so fun times for us fans!
With it’s clouds of dust and scorching heat it really is one of the toughest on the calendar and drivers have to be in absolute peak physical fitness to have any chance at all of winning.
Acropolis Rally of Greece memories
- Footage from the 1981 Acropolis Rally, these are absolute classics! I’m going to have to post a real blog about these.
For more information on the Acropolis click here.
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Rally Poland 26/6-28/6/09
- Category: WRC, J-WRC
- Based: Mikolajki
- Surface: Gravel
- 2009 Winner: Only time will tell
It’s good because…..
It’s new to modern day WRC but has been included on the calendar before….way back in 1973. I don’t know much about it but if you’re planning on going apparently the host town has fantastic access to some of the best spectator stages.
For more information on Rally Poland click here.
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Neste Oil Rally Finland 31/7-2/8/09
- Category: WRC, J-WRC
- Based: Jyvaskyla
- Surface: Gravel
- 2009 Winner: Only time will tell
It’s good because…..
Rallying is taken VERY seriously here so this year they’ll be determined to take the top position on the podium back off Sebastien Loeb.
This is a very fast rally on narrow roads with jump after jump after jump. I don’t think it’s a favourite of some of the codrivers as most are severely winded at the end of the stage.
Neste Oil Rally Finland memories
- Mikko’s jump last year…
For more information on the Neste Oil Rally Finland click here.
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Repco Rally Australia 4/9-6/9/09
- Category: WRC, P-WRC
- Based: Kingscliff
- Surface: Gravel
- 2009 Winner: Only time will tell
It’s good because…..
Australia hasn’t been included on the calendar for two years and now in a new location rally fans will definitely be welcoming it back.
The service park is apparently going to be constructed on a beach which is a bit different and the stages are a totally different challenge to what the drivers are used to – gone are the ball-bearing like gravel roads and now in their place are high speed stages of hard packed gravel.
It’s a long way away so I doubt many of us fans (unless I have some Australian readers of course) will be able to make it as spectators but these changes will certainly make for good armchair spectating.
Repco Rally Australia memories
- A rare moment so savour it, Seb crashes out.
For more information on Rally Australia click here.
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Movistar RACC Rally de Espana 2/10-4/10/09
- Category: WRC, J-WRC
- Based: Salou
- Surface: Asphalt
- 2009 Winner: Only time will tell
It’s good because…..
The fans here are so passionate about the sport, they make the rally what it is.
Being based in the carpark of Spain’s largest theme park Port Aventura and in one of Spain’s busiest tourist destinations there’s lots to do if you want a day off from spectating.
Movistar RACC Rally de Espana memories
- It’s not really a memory but if you get to the stages in plenty of time you can find some great viewing spots.
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Wales Rally GB 23/10-25/10/09
- Category: WRC, P-WRC
- Based: Gravel
- Surface: Cardiff/Swansea
- 2009 Winner: Only time will tell
It’s good because…..
It’s cold, it’s wet and it’s foggy and it’s the final event of the season and everyone wants to be there. The weather may be atrocious but you get the real fans out on the WRGB stages who don’t really care about the weather but with an earlier date this year hopefully the weather will perk up a bit.
Wales Rally GB memories
- I was stood right in front of Mikko when he rolled- it was great to see all the spectators rush to help, the marshals didn’t really seem to have a clue what they were doing.
- 25th November 2001, Richard Burns becomes the first Englishman to win the World Rally Championship driver’s title.
For more information on WRGB click here.
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